The Weather Outside is Frightful (Once Upon a Christmas)
by fielderheather22
Summary: This story is set in canon up to season 6A and before any canon events of 6B, all of this is fanfic but in keeping with the events leading up to 6B, Emma and Regina return from "wish land" just before Christmas and try to relax, enjoy the holiday while dealing with the loss of Robin and Gideon's arrival and also a new visitor "crashes" into town to shake things up like a snowglobe.


" **The weather outside is Frightful"**

* * *

 **Part 1**

We open to a snow covered storybrooke, main street. There are Christmas decorations on every storefront, especially Granny's where the we move in on the entrance and to the inside. We see the usual front corner booth, reserved for the occasional big family gathering, is occupied by Snow White, Henry and hook on one side and Emma and Regina on the other. Hook and Emma are both by the wall facing one another, Hook has his arm draped behind henry in a protective manner.

Snow, Emma and Henry are having the usual hot chocolate with cinnamon, while hook sips black coffee and Regina warms up with hot apple cider.

Henry looks at hook's coffee mug with distaste, "are you guys sure you don't want to give this hot cocoa a try? it's really good, I promise"

Hook smiles at him, "Aye lad, I'm quite sure, your mother made me try it once, it's too bloody sweet for my taste."

Henry laughs and looks at Regina with eyebrows raised, "how 'bout you mom?"

She gives him a weak smile and just shakes her head "no". Emma picks up on her melancholy and rubs her shoulder gently, "you okay?"

"Oh, yes Emma, I'm fine, I just… I miss him, seeing even a wish version of Robin just made me realize how much I really…" she looks down at her lap and fights her tears, one rolls down her cheek as she looks up again, "I… really love him." Her family looks at her with sympathy and concern as she looks at each one with a fake smile, trying to reassure them that she's okay. Hook and Emma give each other a knowing look. They both truly understand what it is like to be separated from true love by death, not just from their first loves but also momentarily from each other. Emma shudders at the memory of the darkest time in her life. She looks at Killian, grateful to have his handsome face and piercing eyes looking at her. She can tell he is thinking the exact thing she is as he gives her a sad grin and a slight nod.

Regina wipes away a tear and plasters a hurt smile on her face, "never mind all that, this is supposed to be a happy season, Henry are you excited to be getting out of school for a couple weeks."

Henry looks sad for her, but pleased that she's trying, "I sure am, of course I'm going to miss seeing violet at school."

Snow laughs, "henry she lives here in storybrooke, you get to see her whenever you want."

"well, I know but it's nice to know she's in the same building as me for at least eight hours, five days a week, we see each other between classes, and have classes together…"

Hook pipes up, "the boy has a point, seems like I'm rubbing off on you, I can't stand to be away from your mom for very long either."

Emma smiles at him, but all three realize the conversation they've been having and look at Regina and Snow.

Emma says, "mom, Regina, I'm… I'm sorry, we didn't mean to…"

Hook interrupts, "I always have to open my big bloody mouth, I'm sure you're going to find a way to break the curse soon," he says to Snow and just looks at Regina with deep regret, there's no way to comfort her, no hope.

Which Regina vocalizes, "yes, I'm sure of it Snow, at least it's just a curse, and you will break it, you always find a way… I however, have no hope…" she pauses, "I don't mean to take it out on you guys, it's not your fault, I just… It's fine"

Snow looks at her, "there is hope Regina, there is always hope, maybe we can't bring him back, but if he existed in Emma's wish, we know that means Hades was wrong, he didn't disappear from existence or else he wouldn't exist in any reality."

Regina smiles, a real one this time because she knows Snow is right. "Thank you" she says as she reaches across the table to hold Snow's hand. Just then in a blaze of light, something glowing and red rushes by the window in a blur with a loud whoosh. Emma and Regina spin around to see what's happening. The object crashes in a bang just past granny's as the crew of heroes spring into action.

They all run outside along with a few of storybrooke's other residents, including the regulars; granny, Leroy and this brothers. Emma, Regina and hook are the first to reach the carnage. It's a huge Red sleigh, laying on its side and broken in many places. In front of the sleigh are big gold ropes wrapped around gold chains, several reindeer lay on the ground moving slightly and making grunting noises.

"What the devil?" hook says.

Emma's eyes widen in realization and confusion, "Santa Claus?"

 **PART 2**

Snow had gone home to trade places with David so that he could help with the cleanup. The sleigh and reindeer were all they found. Plus, two sets of foot prints, one seeming to belong to a man, the other someone much smaller, possibly a child. Henry and Regina were herding the eight reindeer to Violet's family's stables to get them care and shelter. Hook, Emma and David went to the police station to discuss the current predicament, while the dwarves started a search party for storybrooke's latest missing residents.

"I don't understand why Santa would run off somewhere and hide…" David pondered.

Emma put a hand to her forehead, exasperated "Wait, so you're telling me that Santa Claus is actually a real person too?"

Hook put his arm around her shoulder "I don't know why you're still shocked by these things, love. Just look at your family tree"

She knew he was teasing her so she smiled at him, he gave her a quick wink.

"Well I never really knew anything about him outside of this world," David explained, "but given who all we've met, I can't say it surprises me. But from all the movies and books about him from here, I would think he's a nice guy… it doesn't add up… who is he running from?"

Emma tilted her head, "When I was trapped in my wish, Gold told Regina that every hero needs a villain, so if… um… Santa is a hero, sort of, wouldn't he have a villain too?"

David rubbed his chin, "Maybe, it sure seems as though he's hiding for a reason… do you think he could've came here from the land of untold stories?"

Emma shrugged, "I guess it's possible, but why would he wait so long to… fly around on his… sleigh"

David sighed, "I should call belle and ask her to see if she can find out anything."

Hook slapped David's shoulder, "sounds like a plan mate, Emma and I will go join the dwarves in their search party."

"I'll be out there with you as soon as I call belle" David places a hand on hooks shoulder as he walks away with Emma not far behind. She smiles at her dad, happy to see two of the three men in her life getting so close.

 **PART 3**

Emma and Hook walk around the snow-covered forest of storybrooke. Emma shivers, "why couldn't we be searching for Santa in the summer time, it's freezing"

"Aye, love… perhaps he was on his way to bring us our gifts… I should've written him a letter."

"Wait, you know about writing letters to Santa?"

Hook smiles proudly, "Aye, henry and I watched something called, Charlie Brown and his Christmas while you were working the other day."

Emma can't help but chuckle, "Ohhh really? I'm impressed that you're learning about the culture here… finally"

"Hey now," he grabs her by the waist and pulls her close to him, "I know several different dialects from several different lands, have traveled through time and realms as the greatest captain of the jolly roger, you'll have to forgive me for not having much room left in my head for 'space wars' and 'holly potter'"

Emma laughs and rolls her eyes but before she can correct him they hear a familiar voice, shouting, as usual.

"I FOUND SOMETHING! EVERYONE COME QUICK!" it's Leroy.

Emma and Hook run to meet the dwarves as they all follow the sound of Leroy's shouting. They run to meet him as he turns to run toward a fallen down tree with a pair of sparkling silver slippers setting on top. There's a note on stationary with red and white striped border, in red it says "tell Dorothy Thanks – SN"

Emma looks at Killian in surprise, "Zelena's slippers?"

 **PART 4**

Emma and Killian run into the library where David and Belle are talking to Ruby, "Dad, we found something"

"yea, we just found out some things too" David nods toward Ruby. Emma and Hook look at one another bewildered.

"Ruby was just telling us that she heard stories in Oz about Santa Claus" David said as he looked at Ruby, she nodded vigorously.

"Dorothy is there now taking care of some lollipop guild business,"

Emma raised her eyebrows gave hook a look and shook her head, he smiled at her.

"…I know it sounds crazy, but it's her friends… anyway, I haven't heard from her for a while but I do remember while we were there, hearing mention of Santa Claus and a place called Burzee, it's across the deadly desert in the land called nonestica that is southwest of Oz, you don't even need a portal to get there, I think that's where he was."

"Whoa, that was a whole lot of words I've never heard before, are you sure this is real? I mean I've watched the wizard of Oz a lot, and I don't remember ever seeing Santa Claus…" Emma said.

"they never said the wicked witch was half-sister to the evil queen either." Hook reminded her.

Emma gave him her patented, "that's true" head tilt.

Belle stepped up and opened a book, "actually, everything she's saying matches this book I found called 'The life and adventures of Santa Claus' and it seems to me that not only was he in this land near Oz but he was raised there in the" she paused with her finger on a page to read a particular line, "the forest of Burzee by a wood nymph named Necile, and as an adult he had to live in Laughing Valley of Hohaho, he was assisted by the immortals, who are the immortals?"

Emma rolled her eyes "hohaho? You've got to be kidding"

David sighed, ignoring Emma's comment, "your guess is as good as mine, this is all news to me, I always thought he lived at the north pole"

"Aye, that's what I learned from snoopy and his pals mate" hook said.

Emma chuckled loudly.

"what the devil is so funny?"

She giggled a little and stepped up to give him a quick peck on the cheek, and he just smiled at her and raised one eyebrow.

David smiled at his daughter and her true love, "Alright now, we need to think about this, does it say anything else? Like if he had any enemies in Oz"

"My first guess would be Zelena, we all know what she's capable of," Ruby said, still bitter about what happened to Dorothy.

"But Zelena has changed a lot, plus she's been here this whole time, why would he come to her if he feared her?" Emma said.

David sighed, "Maybe he's looking for revenge.."

"Santa Clause? Really?" Emma said sarcastically.

"Not all fairy tales are true to what they seem, love" Hook said, mildly referring to himself.

Emma tilted her head in agreement.

"umm… let's see," Belle said scanning the pages, "it says here that there were a group of monsters called the Awgwas, they could turn invisible and they would steal all the toys from children to make them misbehave, there was a war and the awgwas perished."

"Well then it couldn't be them, could it?" David pondered.

"Are those Dorothy's?" Ruby asked, suddenly realizing that Emma was holding the silver slippers.

"Oh! Yea, I forgot, Leroy found them in the woods, with a note." She held out the note to Ruby, who read it aloud.

"Tell Dorothy thanks, SN… she let him borrow them, so she must know what's going on"

"If we could find the bloody man we could ask him ourselves." Hook said, frustrated.

Emma put a hand on is arm, "Wait… we have the slippers, we need to find him of course but it could take a while, in the meantime maybe we can find out why he came here, Ruby, could you go to Oz and ask Dorothy what's going on? See if she can help us?"

"I'd be happy to" Ruby smiled, taking the slippers from Emma.

 **PART 5**

Regina and Henry join the others at Granny's the search party had to be reduced to making calls, due to the cold and more snow. The white kind, not the snow white kind but the weather. Ruby had gone off to Oz to track down Dorothy for information.

"Okay so you're saying it's Santa Claus and he was raised in Oz by some fairies?" Regina raised an eyebrow at Emma.

"Well, a wood nymph, and then he lived with some 'immortals' in a place _near_ Oz, called hohaho" Emma explained.

"Oookay… well what do we do now? Put up a tree and hope he shows up?" Regina joked.

"Listen love, I'm sure he can handle the cold, I mean isn't that what he's used to? Maybe we could wait and let him come to us" hook suggested.

Henry piped in, "That's in the stories we've heard"

"Yea, which are apparently way off, I mean who knows what this place he's from is really like" Emma said.

"Maybe I should go have a chat with my sister, see if she ever ran into the man in the red suit while she was terrorizing Oz"

"Are uh, are you guys on speaking terms again," Emma asked.

"Well, I haven't spoken to her since we got back, but I did save her life so she owes me."

"Mom, can I come?" henry looked at Regina, who started to nod but Emma chimed in, "No, I don't think that's a good idea"

Henry gave her a look, "Really? Well can I come with you and hook to look for Santa Claus?"

"Aye lad…" Hook started.

"Actually, I was hoping you could stay with your grandma and Neal…" Emma gave him a worried look, knowing he wouldn't be happy about the suggestion.

"You know I'm practically an adult now, I've been on missions more dangerous than visiting my adopted aunt and walking through a winter wonderland."

"Henry it's not about that—" Emma started.

Snow chimed in, "Actually, it was my idea, I haven't been able to spend much time with you since the sleeping curse started and I asked Emma if you could stay at my apartment with Neal and I while your grandpa sleeps, we can bake cookies in case they find him."

Henry raised his eyebrows at her and narrowed his eyes.

"…Plus I'd just feel safer with a man in the house… one that's awake."

Henry grinned and nodded, "alright grandma, I'd be happy to come protect you from Santa's evil elf, or whoever he's running from."

Snow laughed and the group split up.

 **Part 6**

Inside her small cottage Zelena sat rocking Robyn to sleep. Suddenly she hears a noise in the other room. She sees a puff of purple smoke fading. "Still like to make an entrance I see, could've used the front door, sis."

"I didn't want to wake Robyn," Regina answered, walking into the kitchen where the crib sat in the corner.

Zelena stood to put Robyn down to bed. "What do you want Regina? Here to ask me about jolly ole' Saint Nick?"

"And how did you know about that?" Regina stepped closer.

"I'm not a complete hermit Regina, I do make my way around town sometimes"

"Ahh… been to see Gold lately?"

"Actually I went to see if I could offer Belle some help, we once… bonded about pregnancy, I lost my child to… circumstances before… I know what that's like so I wanted to help"

"Still trying to turn over that leaf I see…"

"I know you haven't forgiven me for Robin, but if there is one thing I understand, it's loss… and I am capable of love."

Regina sighed, "I know, I know it's taking me longer than you want it to, and I will get there but right now can we put that aside to… have a conversation."

"Did I do something to Santa Claus in Oz? That's what you came here to accuse me of isn't it?"

"I wasn't going to accuse you Zelena, I was just going to… inquire… and not just about you hurting him, but if you had ever heard of him, or met him. We really don't have much to go on considering none of us knew he was from there."

"Well of course I've heard of him, who hasn't?"

"I meant heard of him _before_ you left Oz"

"Well I never met him… and _no_ … I didn't hurt him, but yea I heard of him in Oz, everyone knew of him, he's the last immortal."

"So Santa was an immortal too?"

"Not originally but they turned him into one, I hear he prefers the name Nick by the way"

"Nick? As in saint Nicolaus?"

"yea, what have you got against that?"

"oh nothing, it just sounds so normal, and young"

"Well he is immortal, I figure any age is young when you're incapable of death"

Regina smiled at her sister's wit, a trait she secretly found endearing, possibly because it was the main thing they had in common besides their mother. Funny that Zelena always said that they were alike because of their darkness, but Regina had always noticed they shared a dry sense of humor.

"Is that all you wanna know?" Zelena interrupted Regina's thoughts.

"Is that all that you know about him?"

"Yea, don't really know anything useful I'm afraid" Zelena gave her a weak smile, tears were forming in the corners of her striking blue eyes.

Regina felt bad for her but she wasn't ready to fully reconcile yet, not because she didn't love her sister, she was just afraid that making up too soon would lead to more fighting. She needed to let go of all her bitterness before they started spending more time together.

"Well… uh… thanks anyway Zelena" she turned to walk away then paused to turn back, "and give Robyn a kiss from her aunt Regina if you would?"

Zelena looked up at her, genuinely moved, then regained her composure to give a soft but snarky, "of course"

With that Regina turned and poofed back to town in a cloud of purple smoke.

 **Part 7**

Regina appeared right in the middle of main street, she looked around and didn't see anyone, it was now dark out. She shoved her gloved hands into her coat pockets and started to walk down the road, toward Snow's apartment. She kind of liked the idea of a quiet night in with her son and one of her best friends, baking and laughing. She knew quiet nights like this were rare, and that it probably wouldn't last more than a few hours, it rarely did. As soon as she finished the thought she heard a whoosh. She spun around on one heel to see a dark figure appear. She knew from their description of him, that it was Gideon, although he had a dark hood covering his entire head.

She sighed, "ahh, the offspring of the bookworm and the dark one, is that cloak supposed to scare me?" she gave a condescending laughed and sneered at him.

The figure just walked towards her slowly, she had no idea what he was capable of but she didn't dare waver in her false bravery.

"Well you certainly didn't get your talkativeness from either of your parents." She started taking off her black gloves in preparation for a possible fight.

"Regina, I know you, I know you better than you know you" a voice came from under the hood.

"Is that so?" her voice was calm as a morning river, the exact opposite of the waves of fear swirling in the pit of her stomach. She had mastered this technique years ago.

"I already disposed of your stronger half, the evil queen, and I will kill Emma Swan, I will destroy anyone who gets in my way," he hissed.

"Stronger half? I don't know who you think you're dealing with _Gideon_ but I have killed more people than you have ever met, I destroyed a whole kingdom with one curse, I'm not proud of that because I am no longer the evil queen, but I still am as strong as I ever was, actually stronger, because you see _Gideon_ my motivation now isn't revenge, it's love and you will hurt my friends OVER. MY. DEAD. BODY." She slowly got closer to where his face should be inside his hood.

The figure let out a low raspy other worldly laugh that made her quiver inside, it sounded like the earth had cracked open and let out coughs of smoke from the pits of hell. She was terrified, he was more evil than anyone she had ever known, which was saying a lot, considering. She wasn't quite sure what it was that was so off putting about him, but there was something about him that shook her to her very core.

"Really Regina? Love? Who would love you? Anyone witless enough to try ends up dead, like poor Robin Hood"

Regina felt a fire building inside of her, a raging inferno but she dared not move. The figure raised a giant sleeved arm towards her but she stood her ground, waiting for what could very well be her death. Suddenly Gideon went flying through the air and landed several yards away on the pavement, grunting as he hit the ground.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" he yelled to her.

She had done nothing, so she said nothing.

"I will find out what kind of power you've learned, and I will destroy you, you won't stop me from killing Emma Swan, mark my words"

Regina was too stunned to respond, she looked around trying to see who could've saved her, but there was no one, the town was empty and dark aside from the luminance of the glistening snow. She looked at Gideon, frightened that he might attack again, but he just vanished into the night in a cloud of crimson smoke, same color as his father and grandfather.

She hesitated then called out, "hello?" into the cold air. She suddenly realized that her hands were freezing and started to put her gloves back on, "well thanks anyway, whoever you are…" she muttered to herself…or so she thought.

 **PART 8**

"To bad Santa isn't like Gold, we could just say his name and make him appear"

"If he were like the crocodile, I doubt anyone would be having a very merry Christmas, love"

Emma chuckled, "he's not that bad, he did warn me about his son"

"Aye, he and belle… something tells me that was more of her persuading than his good heart"

"Are you always going to hate him? I mean I know he's bad and he's the dark one but he really hasn't done anything that bad for a while"

"Except turning over the town to Hyde"

"Who turned out to not be the bad side after all, I mean we are the ones who brought Jekyll here"

"Why are you defending the dark one all of a sudden?"

"I'm not… defending him, I'm just saying, with my impending… battle with Gideon coming up, I've started to see things a little differently… the old villains don't seem as scary as they used to."

"Don't do that…"

"Don't do what?"

"We will save you, I will give my life again to save you, I'd give it a thousand times…"

Tears started to form in Emma's eyes, they stopped walking and turned toward one another. The forest was dark but not as dark as it would have been without the snow. The blanket of white made the ground glow like beautiful glitter. It reflected in both of their sparkling blue eyes that were piercing into each other. Hook pulled her to him and softly kissed her nose, "you know I'd do anything to keep you safe, there's no need to worry love."

She smiled up at him as he wiped the solitary tear from her cheek. In the distance a twig snapped, their heads jerked to the side simultaneously as they started jogging in the direction of the sound. They came upon a shadow of a small figure running, the two began running towards it.

"Stop!" Emma yelled.

"We want to help you," Killian shouted after it.

The figure stopped in its tracks and turned towards them, "It's a little boy…" Emma whispered still running. The small child's face looked hopeful with green eyes and glowing red cheeks. His hair was dark brown and curly in wisps around his tiny face. Suddenly his eyes grew wide in fear and he vanished into thin air. They stopped running.

"What the devil?" hook gasped, catching his breath.

"Did he just disappear?" Emma looked around exasperated.

"The smaller prints," hook said.

"What?"

"We saw two sets of footprints; one set was smaller than the other… that's the child that was with Santa Claus"

"I kind of figured it would be an elf."

"Aye, I did as well. Looks like we were wrong."

"He looked like he wanted our help, what could have scared him off?"

A voice behind them softly growled, "perhaps it was me"

Emma's blood ran cold as she turned wide eyed to face a man in a dark cloak, faceless and looming, the figure from her visions.

 **PART 9**

At Snow's apartment Regina swung open the door without knocking. Henry and Snow were standing at the counter with a mixing bowl, Snow had Neal in one arm and a wooden spoon in the other. They both stopped what they were doing and gaped at her, eyes wide. Henry rounded the kitchen island and ran to her, "Mom, what's wrong?"

"I-I uh, had an altercation… with Gideon"

Snow dropped her spoon into the bowl and came to put her free arm across Regina's shoulder, "are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, someone attacked him… someone invisible"

"What!?" Snow and Henry said in sync.

"He was about to do something to me, what… I don't know, but before he could turn me into a frog or something… someone, or something stopped him, he went flying and whatever it was, was strong enough to scare him off," Regina's voice was still trembling.

"You're shivering, come get warm by the heater," Snow guided her towards a tiny electric heater by the couch.

Regina dared not say, that though she was shaking from the cold, most of it was due to fear. Not even her mother had ever instilled terror in her the way Gideon had. Although he didn't actually do anything to her, something about his presence and voice was unsettling and the uneasiness it left inside her was unshakable.

"Invisible?" Henry muttered to himself.

"Henry, what is it?" Regina asked concerned and curious, she knew Henry had a gift for figuring out things before anyone else.

"Didn't mom say that the awgwa could turn invisible?"

"Well yes but they all died in the war" Regina answered.

"But what if they didn't?" Snow chimed in.

"Even if one survived, weren't they evil and enemies to Nick? Why would an awgwa save my life?"

Snow looked confused, "who's Nick?"

"Santa Claus … Zelena said he prefers the name Nick, which by the way is the only new information she could provide, I'm afraid."

"Well… what if Santa- I mean Nick, learned how the awgwa made themselves invisible, what if they used a potion or something and he found some of it," Henry pondered.

"I suppose it's possible, whoever it was, was very powerful," Regina said.

"A man that can fly around the world in one night would be pretty powerful," Snow chimed in.

"We don't know that he actually does that… but who's to say what all he can do, we don't really know much about the real him," Regina sat down and put her face in her hands, she still felt a knot of nerves in the pit of her stomach.

"Mom, are you alright?" Henry came and sat down beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She placed a hand over his and smiled at him, "yea… I'm fine, just a little tired, that's all"

Snow looked at her concerned, obviously unconvinced.

 **PART 10**

Back in the woods, Emma and Hook stood prepared for a fight, swords drawn.

Emma with her eyes wide, voice trembling managed a weak, "what do you want?"

A dark sinister laugh crept out from underneath the hood, Emma felt herself go numb with fear, even hook winched at the sound. He regained some composer and through clinched teeth said, "She asked you a question… _mate!_ "

"Don't be so hostile… Killian" the voice slithered back at him, though the figure wouldn't turn an inch from facing Emma.

She felt her hand start to tremble and began to see the way too familiar visions, small flashes of herself being killed by the very being who stood before her. At first, she froze, frightened. Then she realized that the visions, were they true, meant that this spot would not be the place of her death. She relaxed a little, but kept her solid stance. Her mouth was drawn tight like it always was when she was scared or angry, at this moment she was both, "I don't even know you"

"ahh but I know you. Emma. Swan. I know all about you… and your… title," the figure spat out the last word as if it made him sick.

Emma braced herself and stayed silent, Killian glanced at her nervously, "Let's get out of here, love."

The figure threw his hand out and sent Killian several yards through the air, then raised his other hand to grab Emma's sword from her.

Killian let out a "NO!" and then the figure suddenly got knocked to the ground.

"urgh!" he grunted, "who is that?" he quickly got up and started looking around, then he started frantically swinging his arms around fruitlessly. After a few missed attempts to make contact with something, the figured turned to a stunned Emma and hissed, "this isn't over, I WILL END YOU EMMA SWAN!" and then he vanished in a cloud of crimson.

Killian got to his feet and ran to Emma's side, "you alright love?"

Emma simply stared out into the darkness in a daze, so he tried again, "Swan?...EMMA?!"

"What?...oh, y-yea… I'm fine" she nearly whispered.

"What happened? What is it?" Killian asked her.

"did you see him..." she asked.

"See who? That evil figure, aye I spoke with him and he threw me to the ground, what the devil do you mean? Of course I-"

"No" she interrupted, "not him… Santa Claus"

 **PART 11**

Emma and hook got to Snow and David's apartment as fast as they could. They burst in to Snow and Henry comforting Regina on the couch.

"what happened?" Asked Emma distraught but more concerned for her best friend.

"I… had an altercation with the dark one's even darker spawn." Regina explained.

Emma looked at her sympathetically.

"So did we…" hook told them.

"And I… umm… I saw Santa Claus"

"What?!" Snow and Henry asked astonished.

"you _saw_ him? So, he's not invisible?" Regina asked.

"Why do would you ask that?" Emma knowingly inquired.

"I just—I thought he may have… saved me, from Gideon"

"could have been, love… Emma saw him… but I didn't…"

"and the little boy" Emma chimed in.

"What little boy?" Snow asked.

"We saw a small lad in the woods, Emma and I ran to him but when the dark one's son appeared… the lad… vanished."

"you saw him disappear?" Henry asked.

Emma nodded, "he was there one second and then he was just… gone."

"So, he didn't poof out like he was using magic?" Regina asked.

"Well it could be magic but not like any I've seen… he just disappeared…" Emma said.

"Or became invisible" Henry offered.

Emma and Killian looked at one another, eyes widened.

"We think it could be an awgwa, or at least maybe Nick learned invisibility from the awgwa, by the way Santa prefers the name Nick" Regina informs them.

"What?" Hook asks her.

"My chat with Zelena, that's what she brought to the table" she rubbed her hands on her knees and stood up. She needed to shake off her nerves, and setting here wasn't helping.

"So, she did know him?" Emma asked.

"Know him? No… but she had heard of him, in Oz… Belle's books were right" Regina smiled, "Should we start searching for him again? Since he seems to trust us?"

"No I don't think that's a good idea," Snow said, she looked a little shaken up herself.

"Why not?" Regina asked with some attitude.

"With Gideon out there, I don't think it's safe," she answered, shooting Emma a worried glance.

"Mom, I'll be fine," Emma said, but she wasn't even close to sure of that herself, she still felt numb from her fear.

"I agree, love, I don't think it's safe, and this 'nick' seems to be quite capable of taking care of himself, from what we've seen," hook put his actual hand around Emma's shoulder and walked her to a barstool. She plopped down on it against her urge to rebel, which was always her first instinct. Especially when people were trying to stop her from doing what she was born to do, help others.

 **Part 12**

Across town we see a sign that says "Mr. Gold-Pawnbroker-antiques dealer" and the door below. The door mysteriously opens, in the back-room Belle and Rumble look up from reading books about fairies when they hear the bell.

"Stay here," Rumple warns Belle. She assumes he's afraid it's Gideon again, but he knows exactly who he will see—or won't see—on the other side of the curtain. He saunters through and takes his usual spot behind the counter, watching objects move seemingly on their own. All at once they stop moving.

"you might as well show yourself dearie, I know who you are, and I could cast a visibility spell… it's effects last a while and I'm sure you'd rather be in control of that yourself…"

A figure appears in the middle of the shop, a man with dark hair, dark skin and a red suit. The suit nor the man is anything like the images from Henry's movies. Rumble grins with one side of his mouth. The suit almost completely matches that of the one Rumple wears, only crimson. And the man looks as though he could be Merlin's long lost brother, but with a dark beard. Rumple wonders for a moment if the two could somehow be related, but then again, he knows all about that.

"…long time, no see, Nick" Rumple finishes.

 **Part 13**

Snow decided to wake David in case Gideon came looking for Emma again. She and Regina sat on the couch while the boys finished making cookies. Hook was having quite the time holding a little sleeping Neal with one arm and Emma eyed him lovingly, wondering what it would be like to raise a child with him. He looked at her and smiled, his eyes were glistening with love for the bundle in his arm. After the cookies were done, David took Neal and put him next to Snow in bed. Then suddenly they heard a knock at the door. David rushed to open it and found Ruby on the other side.

"I have been looking for anyone I could find, now I see that all of you are in one spot, good that saves the trouble of telling this more than once," Ruby said once she had stepped into the dining area. She grabbed a cookie, "can I have one of these? I haven't eaten since lunch and I wolfed out to get here quicker and the running…." She took a breath, "…I'm starving."

"Of course… Ruby, did Dorothy know anything about Santa?" David asked.

"Nick," Regina corrected.

"Right, Dorothy told me he prefers that too," Ruby smiled at Regina, "well yes, she knew him, she met him very recently, and in fact, she is the one that told him to come here."

"What?" Emma and Regina said in unison.

 **Part 14**

Flashback to Oz many, many years ago. The Wizard is still in power, still in disguise, as a young woman walks in. As she opens the giant doors the sounds of Oz fill the room, the munchkins are singing a merry song, "the awgwa are dead, nick clause said off with their heads, the children are safe to play, with toys and be merry and gay". They had been repeating the song since the night before when all the awgwa had been defeated. The woman who had long curly brown hair that fell around her pretty face, was crying as she walked up to the wizards looming face, she looked up at it with her bright green teary eyes.

"Please Mr. Wizard, I've got nowhere else to turn, I just want to go away somewhere"

"SILENCE! I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!" the wizards loud voice boomed, making the quivering woman, quiver even harder.

From the doorway, another voice spoke, a male voice, "And I know what you are, you're not a wizard at all, are you Walsh?"

"WHO IS THERE HIDING? WHO DARES TO QUESTION THE WIZARD, GREAT AND POWERFUL?"

The woman spoke again, meekly "That- that's my husband, please we mean no one harm, if you help us we will get away from here and never bother anyone… you see our kind, the-" she looked around and lowered her voice to a whisper, "the awgwa don't fall in love, we just get married to have offspring, but not us, we really love each other and we just want to survive."

"come on Walsh, we know your secret, you know ours, let's just make a deal." The man, tall and thin with black tufts of curly hair around his pale face walks into the room. He fiddles with a locket shaped like a tree hanging around his neck.

The wizard turned off his machinery and pulled back the curtain, revealing Walsh, a small and simple man.

In a regular voice, Walsh looked at them, sighed and held up a pair of sparkling silver slippers, "Well I'm not really in the deal making business, but I know someone who is"

 **Part 15**

Back in Gold's shop.

"Did you know?" Nick asked Rumple.

"Did I know what, dearie?"

"What kind of monsters you were helping?"

"My- my what harsh words from mr. kindness himself,"

"I may be kind but I know who deserves kindness and who doesn't, remember? Dark one?"

"Well in my opinion, darkness is in the eye of the beholder,"

"Stop with the word games dark one, you knew they were trying to kill me,"

"Actually, no… I didn't"

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really…" Then Rumple heightened his voice and sang in a whiney tone, "we aren't like the others mr. Stiltskin, we just want to survive and live in peace,"

"and you bought that? Walsh I can see, he's not too bright, but you, you knew better didn't you?"

"it's true the wizard is a faker of magic, and a poor one at that, and indeed I can see the future, it's hazy, but because I helped that poor innocent couple, you came here… wasn't that a good deed on my part?"

"how is that a good deed? You know what I'm doing here, why I had to leave Oz"

"did you not save the lives of Miss Swan and Regina"

"from your evil child? Yes, I did"

"the child didn't learn that from me dearie, I may be the dark one but I would never wish darkness upon my child or teach it to him"

Nick eyed him suspiciously, deciding to believe at least some of his good intentions, "Well what does me saving them have to do with what you did?"

"If I hadn't helped them escape the war, your little friend wouldn't exist and you wouldn't have brought him here to protect him, and Regina and miss Swan would be… well one would be a chicken and the other would be dead."

Nick looked down, "did you know that? That this would all happen?"

"No, not all of it, I'm just trying to show you that darkness is subjective, and that things need to play out their own way, you see people as either naughty or nice, but you can't always be nice to get nice things done."

"you always loved a good riddle, didn't you?"

"it's not a riddle dearie, you hurt my son, twice, protecting others… because of you thousands of awgwa died, all of them…" rumple look up at him and smiled, "well… almost"

"but they were evil"

"According to who?" rumple chuckled, "oh that's right, they were on your naughty list, so very judgmental aren't we, Mr. Clause?

"look, I didn't want them to die, I didn't want to hurt Gideon but sometimes bad things happen when innocent lives are at stake."

"That is the exact point I'm trying to make, dearie" Rumple walked around the counter to find what Nick had come in for, "That's why when you came to the Wizard, and to me after the war, we lied about all the awgwa being dead"

"you helped them hide? Because you thought they were innocent?"

"They were… together they were, but after… well he wasn't the same after that"

"I didn't do that, I swear I didn't"

"I didn't say you did, but if there is one thing I've learned in my very long life, it's that pain can make you do unspeakable things"

 **PART 16**

Flashback to Oz, the silver slippers are setting in front of the Wizard's curtain. We see the young woman standing there, "Walsh! Hello! I returned the slippers,"

The two pillars shoot flames into the air, "DID THE DARK ONE PROVIDE WHAT YOU NEEDED?"

"yes, well yes, he did, but he took something very valuable from my husband as well…"

"AND WHAT WOULD THAT BE?"

"his locket, I'm not sure what it does, but he's still sort of upset…"

"YES! YOU DO KNOW WHAT IT DOES, WHAT IS IT? IT'S MAGIC I PRESSUME"

"Well, I- I can't say, it's a secret among the aw- I mean, among our kind."

"WELL IF THE DARK ONE PROVIDED YOU WITH A WAY TO BE SAFE, I WOULD TAKE IT AND GET AWAY"

"you won't… you won't tell anyone we are… alive will you"

"YOUR SECRET IS NONE OF MY CONCERN, AND MINE IS NONE OF YOURS, I WONT SPEAK OF IT SO LONG AS YOU LEAVE AK, THE LAND YOU ARE FROM, AND NEVER BOTHER THE ONE THEY CALL SANTA CLAUSE"

"oh, we won't, thank you, thank you so much Mr. Wizard."

She leaves central Oz and her and her husband spend many years in a place called, Quadling country, where no one in any decent part of Oz ever bothered to go, it was a swampy horrible place, but at least they were safe.

Flash forward to many years later and the couple now have a small child which they name Pyry, meaning snowstorm or blizzard. They named him after the weather the two endured the time they visited a far-off land to ensure their safety. One day mother and son go out to hunt for berries, the scarce lands offer no farming and the family spent many days almost starving, but they were happy. Mother and son walk along the banks of the swamp holding hands.

"Mama, why do we look different?"

She laughs, "what do you mean?"

"We don't look like our neighbors, they have rose colored skin and hair."

"Well don't fret child, it's okay to be different,"

"and daddy can turn invisible, I saw him, how do I do that?"

She looks around nervously to see if anyone is around, "don't speak of that, don't ever speak of that again, okay?"

The child, Pyry, looks frightened and nods slowly, then the two continue to walk along the path picking their supper. In the distance, in the bushes we see someone watching through the bushes.

Later that evening, Pyry lays in his straw hammock, trying to sleep. The child hears his usually loving parents arguing for the first time in his life, though he can't understand what they are saying.

 **PART 17**

We see belle cleaning in Rumple's castle in the enchanted forest. She is dusting in a high shelf and spots something new and it's shining. It's a charm necklace shaped like a tree, attached to a beautiful chain. She's admiring it when she hears a voice, high and lilting. "I wouldn't touch that dearie" Rumple saunters into the room and it vanishes from her hands, she turns to see it appear in his.

"It's beautiful, where did it come from?"

"It was a gift,"

"A gift?"

"I help people and they… repay me"

"you mean that's the price someone paid for your magic," she spat out sarcastically.

"All magic comes with a price dearie"

"Couldn't you just help people for the sake of being a good person?"

"I'm not a good person, the sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be"

"well, what do you want with a necklace anyway?" she continued dusting trying to change the subject like she always did when he got like this.

Rumple giggled in his strange way, and walked closer to her, he opened the tree to reveal a mirror on both sides of the inside.

"Mirrors? What do you want those for?" she asked meekly, hoping she didn't come across offensive, mirrors were a sore spot for him, considering his glittering gold skin.

"They aren't merely mirrors, dearie" he moved the necklace in his hands and the mirrors started to glow, "it's protection"

"but you're the dark one, who could you need protection from? you're the most powerful wizard in all the realms"

"Not entirely true, there is one just as powerful maybe even more so, but for now" he clamped the locket shut and held it close to her face, "he looks exactly like the charm on this locket" he giggled loudly and belle just looked at him confused.

 **PART 18**

Back in present day, Ruby is telling everyone what Dorothy said.

"Nick came to Dorothy wanting her silver slippers to get to Rumpelstiltskin," Ruby said.

"Gold? Why would Santa- I mean Nick, want to see or talk to Gold," Emma asked.

"Probably wants revenge," hook remarked, coldly.

"Actually, he said that Gold has something they need," Ruby said.

"What on earth could Nick need from GOLD of all people?" Regina said.

"And what do you mean _they_?" David asked. Emma and hook gave each other a knowing look, they hadn't had a chance to catch David all the way up.

"there was a small child with him, Dorothy thinks his name was Pyry and he needed a necklace Rumple has, to protect himself"

"how does grandpa have it?" Henry asks.

"The dark one collects all sorts of things, lad, best not to ask how…" hook looks at Emma remembering their earlier conversation about the dark one and his ethics.

Emma just shakes her head trying to keep the conversation on track, "so who does this… Pyry need protection from?"

Ruby's eyes widen and she sighs, "it's a long story."

 **PART 19**

Flashback to several days after Pyry hears his parent's argument, news has reached Nick that there could be some awgwa hiding in Quadling country. So, like many people in Oz he goes off to see the Wizard. Luckily for him, the wizard can still speak, it is mere days before the wizard is turned into a flying monkey.

"Wizard… or should I say, Walsh…" Nick says as he enters the great and powerful room of nonsense, he has no time for Walsh's silly theatrics when all of Oz could be in danger. The curtain moves away and Walsh is sitting on his bed having some tea.

"Hello, Nick"

"Do you know anything about some awgwa being alive in Quadling country?"

"No, I know nothing of who inhabits Quadling country, it's a horrible mess of a place if you ask me"

"That's not what I asked, and I will know if you are lying"

Walsh sighs and hands Nick a pair of Silver Slippers, "I've been sworn to secrecy but I know someone you could talk to about this"

"No, I'm not going to the dark one again, the last time you sent me to him to solve a problem things ended up worse than they were before."

Walsh just blinked at him.

"who swore you to secrecy? The awgwa? Did you help them to survive?"

"I did nothing of the sort, I just provided them with transportation to get to someone who could"

"So, you both lied to me when you assured me all the awgwa were dead, you knew some where alive and you sent them to the dark one too? Is that all your magic amounts to? Just a pair of shoes sending everyone to the same wizard, the dark one who promises help but only for a very high price?"

"I provide Oz with a sense of comfort, and no I don't send everyone to him, just the ones that know who I truly am,"

"So, that's what the Awgwa have on you? They know you're a fake"

Walsh just looked down, sipping his tea.

Nick scoffed and started to walk away, "you won't be getting any presents this year Walsh"

"Nick, wait!"

Nick stopped but didn't turn around, he waited, listening.

"They have a small child, a very small child… I've been keeping tabs on them and they haven't harmed even a single animal, they gave me their word that they'd keep peace, they just wanted to stay alive."

Nick stands still with his back facing Walsh, knowing who is naughty and nice for the most part, who is lying and who isn't. A single tear falls from Nicks soft eyes. Then he walks out the door never to see Walsh as a man again.

 **PART 20**

Back in Gold's shop, we see him holding a necklace with a tree shaped charm dangling from it.

"you're lucky I don't need this anymore, dearie… in an ironic twist of events an old enemy of mine took care of Merlin for me."

Nick's jaw dropped open for a second, "Merlin? That's who you wanted it for?"

"Oh, you know him? Of course, you do, you know who is naughty and nice, and he was the nicest of all wasn't he? You know you favor him…"

Nick turned his head and looked away, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Oh, what is that look? Is there something I don't know?"

"you knew I was an orphan,"

"yes, I did, it was probably my own mother that took you, did she get sick of you and drop you off in Oz?"

"Not Oz, Ak, the forest of Burzee…" Nick started.

"Details, details… you know my parents left me too."

"Of course I do, I'm 'Santa Clause'," Nick made sarcastic quotations in the air around his nickname.

"So, you would know who your own parents are, the ones that abandoned you,"

"They didn't abandon me, you know EXACTLY what happened, dark one"

"I also know that both of your parents had the most powerful magic in all the realms, far more than a dark fairy, why didn't they come after you?"

"you know why my mother wouldn't and why my father couldn't"

"he never even got the chance to say goodbye,"

Nick fought the tears forming in the corners of his warm green eyes, "give me the necklace,"

"And what are you going to give me in return?"

 **PART 21**

Flashback to Oz. Nick is in Quadling country watching a mother and son play in the swamp, they are getting filthy but neither seems to care. They both have dark curly hair, the boy looks to be about five years old, but if it is an awgwa he could be much older, because awgwa age very slowly. Nick wonders about his own mother, he had gone to see the dark one about a location spell several years prior, sent by the wizard. The price was high, Nick's only gift from his birth parents, a stitching of a name, Nicholas. Heaven only knew what the dark one wanted with it, but it was precious to him. The tool the dark one gave him wasn't to find where people are, but to see them, a looking glass. He saw what happened, both his parents gone. Taken by their own power. His mother had died, but not before she had turned his father into a tree. That was all he could stand watching before he broke the looking glass he had paid such a high price for. He was only grateful he hadn't told the dark one who he wanted to find. He knew how the dark ones worked, so in a way, he had got the looking glass from his own mother. He quickly shook off the thought because he had been spotted.

"you stay away from us, we don't want to fight," the mother in the swamp said as she grabbed her child. Scared that the interaction and fear could lead to revenge from whatever awgwa were left, Nick jumped up and ran for her. "No, me either, I was just making sure you were peaceful, like the wizard said."

She grabbed a large stick and pointed it at him. "I will kill you!"

The child started to cry, "mama no!" then he just turned invisible and screamed even louder, "help me! I can't see me!" the child screamed over and over, searing the words into Nicks brain permanently.

"Stop being scared Pyry!" his mother shouted, "run home and get your father,"

The screams grew softer and fainter so the child must've started to run off. Nick was frantically trying to calm the woman down but she wouldn't back down and he started to wonder if she was peaceful at all. Nick had never killed before and he wasn't about to start now, so he decided it was best to leave. Then suddenly a big pink bubble landed right between him and the woman. The child reappeared at the far end of the clearing they were in, he must've lost his fear due to being so in awe of the pink glowing orb. He was mesmerized by her. The witch turned to him and just said, "Nick, Run!" Which he started to do, then he realized what might happen to the woman, so he turned around just in time to see the good witch zap some magic spell at her and she fell over, and at that point he didn't care if the woman wanted to kill him, he didn't want another child to lose a parent like he had lost his. Especially not to see her die right in front of him. All Nick remembered after that was hearing himself screaming "NO!" as he ran to her body and held her. Then everything went black.

 **Part 22**

Back in the present time, Ruby continued to tell everyone what had led Nick to come to storybrooke.

"So after they found the body of the woman, they couldn't tell if she was an awgwa or not, I guess Rumpelstiltskin had put a spell on them that kept everyone in Oz from knowing what they were, the only one who knew was Nick, I guess he went back and kept an eye on the child and the father became extremely abusive, he wanted Pyry to pretend to be hurt to lure Nick to them, so he could kill him but Pyry refused and his father started threatening him… that's when Nick stepped in and kidnapped the child"

 **Part 23**

Back in Gold's shop, Nick and Rumple stand facing each other, Rumple dangles the chain and locket in front of Nicks face.

"Do you know what this does?" Rumple asks him.

"Yes, I do… I raised the boy, I know all about his kind"

"The monsters, as you called them"

"This one is different, he is the product of true love, no matter how evil his parents are, they did love each other"

"And you kidnapped him?"

"I rescued him, his father threatened to kill him if he wouldn't partake in killing me…" Nick looked down, to keep Rumple from seeing the tears forming in his eyes, "he refused, I owe him"

"A little guilt goes a long way as well… doesn't it?"

Nick blinked at him, "yes, it does… I can't change what happened to her"

"does the child know it's because of you that his mother died?"

"I tried to save her, but it was too late," Nick could no longer hold back his tears, so he just let them roll down his cheeks into his dark beard.

"I'll let you have the necklace, if you do something for me…"

"What do you want?"

"teach me what you taught the boy, and what he taught you"

"you want to be able to tell who's naughty and nice?"

"yes… and to be able to be invisible without a spell"

"well that can't be taught, Pyry has to give it to you"

"well bring the child here and you teach me to read people and I will give you the necklace"

Nick sighed, in reluctant agreement and started to walk out, then he turned at the door and said "why?"

"why what dearie?"

"why do you want these abilities?"

"… to save my son," Rumple said, bottom lip quivering.

 **Part 24**

In Snow's apartment Ruby is fielding all sorts of questions from the group.

"This locket, what exactly does it do? Is it dangerous?" Regina asked her.

"it was a secret among the awgwa the whole time they have existed, I just know that only the adult male awgwa could have them… their kind were very harsh to women and children, seeing them as having lesser value," Ruby told her.

Emma scoffed, "sounds like life outside of storybrooke," Ruby and Hook looked at her confused. Emma just shrugged.

"If this charm was a secret among the awgwa, how did the crocodile know about it, and why did he want it?" hook asked her.

"I have no idea," Ruby told him.

"well we need to find out what it does, in case it is dangerous, we really don't know much about our new residents, and we really don't want it to fall into the wrong hands," David said.

"you mean like Gideon's?" Emma nervously added.

"I know what it does," Henry, who had been staring at his phone said, looking up at them, "I have been texting grandpa, he says not to worry, he's taking care of it"

"Well that's great," hook scoffed.

"Henry? You've been texting Gold this whole time, why would you do that?" Regina asked.

"you said he had the necklace, we needed answers, so I asked him," henry answered.

"we really can't trust him, kid" Emma said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Well he already has the necklace, what could asking about it hurt?" henry looked up at her, "why do you guys always wait until the last minute to go to him for help? It always ends up necessary anyway, plus he loves me."

They all looked at each other, Henry was right plus how could they tell him not to talk to his own grandfather.

"All of that is beside the point," David said, finally breaking the silence and awkwardness, "What does the necklace do?"

"The locket holds a magic that keeps whoever is wearing it safe from their own kind of magical beings, the awgwa had to keep one at all times to stay safe from one another, because they were so evil, all the necklaces burned with the awgwa bodies at the end of the war, except one, one that belonged to Pyry's father," Henry read to them from his text messages from Rumple.

"So, the lad wants it keep himself safe from his father," hook said.

"But who did Gold need it for? Himself? Who would he need protection from, there was only one dark one a time" Emma said.

"That's not entirely true… remember?" Regina said.

Emma looked at her confused.

Regina rolled her eyes, "you took all of Merlin's power to create a new dark one," she motioned to hook, "Merlin was the only living person with that kind of power, it was light magic because Merlin always only used it for good, the original dark one started from the same source, meaning the dark one had the same kind of magic as merlin, only dark instead of light,"

There was a knock at the door, David opened it to see a man in a red suit standing there, "Santa?"

The man smiled, "Please, call me Nick"

"uhh sure, come in Nick" David motioned for him to come in, but Nick just moved to the side revealing a small child had been behind him, "oh, your friend can come in too"

"Thank you, come on Pyry, you know these are good people," Nick told the child as they both slowly walked in. Regina straightened up and got a strange look on her face, which Emma noticed and gave her a confused look. Regina shook her head indicating it was nothing and stepped forward and held out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Regina, I guess I owe you a thank you for saving me earlier," She said.

Nick softly took her hand and pulled her closer, "I heard you when you said it out there Regina, and you are very welcome."

Regina blushed and a look of realization came over Emma's face, which Regina noticed. She quickly pulled her hand back and tried to regain her composure, "Well umm, you sort of met Emma and Killian earlier as well"

"yes, I'm glad you guys are okay," he smiled at them.

"Thank you, but ummm… why could I see you and Killian couldn't?" Emma asked rather bluntly.

"you could see me?" Nick seemed just as confused by this as anyone else.

"yea… and I knew who you were, I'm not sure how…" Emma was never sure the extent of her own power, new abilities seemed to show themselves every now and then, she didn't like not knowing what all she was capable of. Nick just looked confused and turned to the child, "Pyry here came to inform me that you two were in trouble"

Hook kneeled down on one knee and shook the child's hand, "It's much appreciated, little mate" and smiled at him.

Pyry just smiled back shyly. Once the rest of the introductions and explanations had been made, David offered the child milk and cookies which he gladly accepted and Nick sat down on the couch where Regina had taken a seat, she blushed and looked uncomfortable, Emma smiled at her.

"The reason I'm here is because I need some advice, and help… but first I'm sorry for hiding and causing so much trouble"

"Why did you hide from us?" Emma asked, never being one for tact.

"The wreck shook us both up pretty band and traveling to a new realm always messes with my abilities, I it took a while for me to figure out who I could trust, I came into town to try and find Rumpelstiltskin, that's when I saw Regina was in trouble and that's when all my instincts came back, I ran back to the forest to get Pyry to let him know most of the town is safe, and to make sure he didn't run into that creature, he ran to me and told me about Emma… after that I went to Rumple to find what I needed, and planned to come for help with my sleigh and we'd be on our way,"

"so what interrupted your plans?" Ruby asked.

"The dark one hasn't changed much, he wants to make a deal, I'm willing to make it but the read I get on him is confusing, you all know him better than I do, should I trust him" Nick asked, looking too many times at Regina who kept fidgeting in her seat because of it.

"Well he does always stick to his deals, but sometimes they aren't what they seem," David told him.

"What do you mean the read you get is confusing," Henry asked.

"I can tell who is naughty and who is nice, and Rumple… well all dark ones honestly, are more difficult… some of them are people who have good intentions and good hearts, but the darkness sometimes clouds their judgement and you never know which side the person is going to react with," he explained.

"you're telling us the dark one, this one has a good heart and good intentions?" Hook asked.

Nick looked at him, "I am, he truly loves his family," he looked over at Henry who smiles, Nick continues, "which is more than I can say for some of the dark ones I've seen," he looked down and bit his lower lip, Regina looked at him curiously, "are you okay?" she asked.

"yea… oh yea, just old family problems of my own," Nick told her, "anyway I came here to ask for help going back to Rumple, I probably won't need it, but I could use the security of knowing I have backup if the dark one decides to turn on us."

Emma stood up from her stool, "Of course we will help…" she laid a hand on Hook's shoulder, "it's what we do"

 **Part 25**

Emma, Hook, Regina, Nick and Pyry went to Gold's shop. David, Ruby and Henry stayed to look after snow and Neal. They didn't know what Gideon had up his sleeve so they didn't want to leave them alone. Nick, Pyry and Hook walked ahead of the two women.

"So, he's pretty cute huh?" Emma nudged Regina with her elbow.

"Emma, come on"

"What? I saw the way you looked at him"

"I swear Emma, sometimes you act like a teenager"

"Wow, you haven't been this defensive for a long time, you must like him a lot"

Regina just rolled her eyes.

"It's okay to have a crush on someone new Regina, it is a part of healing"

"I don't want to drag anyone into my life, I'm doomed to not get a happy ending, at least not in my love life, and I don't want anyone else to get hurt… besides, I do not have a crush on Saint Nick"

Emma laughed, "Whatever you say Regina"

The Group stopped at Gold's shop and they all waited outside while Nick took a nervous looking Pyry by the hand and led him into the shop.

 **Part 26**

Inside Rumple looked up from where he was polishing the necklace with a soft cloth. "Well that was fast," he looked behind the two, "your new friends didn't have to come, I'm a man of my word."

"I never doubted that, dark one, I just know how you like to leave out details sometimes"

"You can't blame me for what your mother did dearie, I just gave you the tool to find out," he smiled up at nick, "don't shoot the messenger, as they say"

Nick looked away, knowing he was right, "let's just get this over with"

Rumple came around the counter and knelt down in front of Pyry, "Well hello there, what's your name?"

"My name is Pyry," he answered and started blushing, he was a shy child. Nick was astonished to see the gentle manner the dark one had with the little boy. He had changed his demeanor completely and Nick could tell that Pyry wasn't the least bit frightened of him.

"Well Pyry, I'm going to help you stay safe, all I need from you is a sprinkle of magic, can you do that for me?"

Pyry smiled and looked up at Nick for confirmation that it was okay Nick gave him a small nod, and he then turn back to Rumple and nodded enthusiastically, he let go of Nick's hand and took Rumples hands in his and looked into his eyes. "Blink until I go invisible" Pyry told him. Rumple did as Pyry asked and within a few seconds, both went invisible and then back to visible.

"that's all?" Rumple asked.

"I need to lie down" Pyry said, seemingly ready to faint.

"easy for you, hard on him," Nick said.

"There is a cot in the back, my wife has gone home so no one will be back there to disturb you" Rumple gingerly put a hand on Pyry's back to steady him and show him the right direction.

They watched him slowly make his way through the red curtains. Rumple looked back to Nick, "Now it's your turn dearie"

Nick spent about a half hour teaching Rumple his magic, then told him "perfecting it takes years to master, so you must practice on your own as well"

"Or I could ask for weekly lessons as a Christmas gift," Rumple teased.

"Perhaps, if I didn't have to get back to Oz, they need me, we need to stop him"

"I know it's harder to find him because of the spell I gave him, I intended no harm, I really didn't" Rumple said, handing the necklace over to Nick, who just nodded, at about that time Pyry came out of the back room rubbing his tiny tired eyes.

"Have a good nap, dearie?" Rumple asked, Pyry nodded.

"Well we'll be on our way then," Nick said as they walked toward the door.

"If I don't see you, have a merry Christmas" Rumple said, Nick couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or sincere but decided it didn't matter. He turned as he opened the door, "you too, I hope you can help your son, sincerely," Rumple just gave him a sad smile as they closed the door behind them.

 **Part 27**

Once everyone returned to Snow's apartment it was very late. So, Ruby offered Nick a room for the night as Regina wrung her hands nervously. Nick accepted the offer and the three of them said their goodbye's and left.

"Regina, would you like to spend the night at our house?" Emma asked her.

"What for?" Regina was snippy.

"I just thought, I don't know, we could have a sleepover, it could be… fun"

"Are you joking?" Regina asked.

"ahh, come on mom, it could be fun we can get up and have breakfast, as a family," Henry said.

Regina laughed like they were ridiculous but she was a bit intrigued, she looked over at hook who was sitting at the bar chatting with David, though she knew he had been half listening to Emma and Henry. He looked over at her and smiled. She could see what Emma saw in his looks, but not in his personality, she liked him well enough but he was somewhat annoying in Regina's opinion.

"well?" Emma coaxed.

"Do you think Hook would be okay with it?"

"Would I be okay with what, love?"

Regina noticed that today had been the first time he had called her that, he usually reserved that for his friends, people he actually liked.

"Your girlfriend wants me to come over for a sleepover, like we are thirteen years old"

"Aye, sounds like a splendid idea," hook smiled at Emma and henry, they both beamed back at him, Regina decided that maybe he wasn't so annoying after all. He certainly made her son and her best friend happy.

"Come on, mom" Henry pleaded.

"Well alright… but I'm not sleeping on the floor in bean bags… and if you freeze my bra I will throw a fire ball at you…" Regina laughed as they walked toward the door.

"David, you sure you're okay here alone?" Hook asked.

"Of course, you guys have a good night," he put his arm around hook and pulled him close, whispering, "make sure my daughter stays safe, I'm trusting you"

"That woman is my everything, I will always protect her with my life"

David smiled, but couldn't shake the worry completely off his face, he knew hook would keep his word or die trying, but he didn't know if that would be enough to stop Gideon.

The three said their goodbyes and went to Emma's for the night.

 **PART 28**

The next morning, Regina woke up first, it had been hard for her to sleep since Robin. Every night she tossed and turned and saw his face right before he faded away. She had dreams that he wasn't really gone, only to wake up and grieve all over again. She sighed as she flipped the last pancake. She had made a big meal for their odd little family. She usually had to force herself to forget about Robin each morning but this morning was different. She found herself unable to stop thinking about Nick, his sweet smile, the way his hand had tenderly felt around hers. The nerves in her stomach she had, had the night before after meeting Gideon had changed to something more like butterflies the minute Nick had entered the room. He looked so much like Merlin, that much was undeniable. Except for having green eyes where Merlin had brown, and Nick having a short beard, they were practically identical. She hadn't realized how attractive Merlin was when they met, possibly because Robin was still with her. And Nick's green eyes certainly didn't help her fight her attraction at all. Emma had caught on quick but Regina had denied it, and would continue to do so. He was leaving soon and even if he could stay, she had already vowed to herself to not get romantically involved again. She didn't know if her heart could take any more pain. She shook off her thoughts and set the table. Then she walked into the foyer, and started up the stairs to wake the rest of the household, when something stopped her in her tracks. In the living room, something she didn't notice on her way down, a giant lit up Christmas tree, except Emma hadn't put one up yet. There were four presents underneath.

We see at various places around storybrooke, all the residents waking up to trees and presents that hadn't been there the night before, Ruby opens a box, to find a new beautiful necklace, along with a matching dog collar, both are beautiful. There is a note, "Thanks for all your help, I took the shoes but I will return them to Dorothy ASAP so she can get back to you, -SN"

August and Marco get new tools and a note thanking them for fixing the sleigh.

Rumple finds a beautiful tea set for Belle, and for himself, a simple envelope. Inside is a small photo one of him with Baelfire as a young boy. They had no such thing as photos in the enchanted forest, Nick must've used his magic to create it, Rumple can't contain his tears, he just whispers "bae" as he sobs.

David wakes Snow up so she and Neal can enjoy their presents, David and Snow got photos of them with Emma as a baby and a snow globe with Snow's castle in the center, it is the most beautiful snow globe Snow has ever seen. Neal got several lovely toys.

Emma, Henry and Hook open their presents, a video game for henry and a book that just says "Saint Nick: the real story".

Hook gets things to spruce up the jolly Roger, and a note that says, "Protect your true love at all costs, get her out of here if you have to". Emma gets a picture of Snow holding her as a baby, right after she was born, on the back it says "if you truly need help defeating Gideon, you know where to find me"

Regina gets a box of jewelry, the ring Daniel gave her, that she gave up to get revenge on Emma. A beautiful necklace with a red jewel, she could sense the necklace held some sort of magic, but she was too sad to think about that right now. She also got a feather, THE feather with a note attached, "don't ever give up hope Regina, you are the most beautiful and selfless woman I have had the pleasure of meeting, you deserve the best happiness and all the love in the world. -SN" Regina started to cry softly.

It wasn't Christmas day yet but everyone gathered at Grannies to have dinner together, Even Rumple. He stayed near the window watching out into the street wondering about his second child, one he had fought so hard to protect, he wondered where Gideon was. No matter how evil Gideon had become, Rumple still loved him and it pained him greatly to think of him out there alone in the cold, miserable inside his own darkness. Soon enough Gideon and Emma would have a battle and if there was one thing Rumple knew about Miss Swan, it's that she always won.

 **THE END**


End file.
